Acetylene-gas-generating lamp.



Patgnt ed Aug. 14, I900.

A. WINCH.

AGETYLENE GAS GENERATING LAMP.

(Application filed Oct. 16, 1899.)

(No Model.)

UITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALLEN l/VINOII, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ACETYLENE-GAS-GE NERATING LAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 655,944, dated August 14, 1900. Application filed October 16, 1899, Serial No. 733,748. (No model.)

To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALLEN WINCH, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Lamps for Generating and Burning Acetylene Gas, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in portable lamps for generating and burning acetylene gas, and refers more specifically to improvements in that type of lamps or generators in which the gas is generated by the reaction produced by allowing water to drip from an elevated water-chamber upon calcic carbid contained in a generating-chamber beneath. v

The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction in devices of the character referred to; and it consists in the matters hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and will be fully understood from the following description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows an axial sectional elevation of a lamp embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail, partly in axial section, of the drip-tube, showing particularly the arrangement of the pressure controlled outlet therein. Fig. 3 is an outside view of the perforated distributing-tube, showing the screening surrounding the latter. Fig. 4 is an axial sectional view of the supportingdisk and carbid-bag connected thereto, a portion of thelatter being broken away to show the ends of the spring-ring. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary axial detail of the connection between the two parts of the safety device.

Referring to said drawings, A designates as a whole a vase suitably conformed to receive the generator body, designated as a whole B, the interior of the base being of suitable size and so shaped relatively to the external form of the generating-chamber as to provide an intervening surrounding space a, which in the use of the generator will be filled approximately full with water or other suitable cooling liquid, as indicated clearly in the drawings. I The upper margin of the vase is provided with an inturned or over-hanging flange a, which fits closely around the generator-body B, the latter. be

ing provided near its upper end with a ra dially-outward-projecting flange b, which rests upon the inturned flange of the vase and serves to support the generator-body and connected parts within the vase. In order that there may be a free circulation of cool air in the upper part of the vase above the liquid therein and surrounding the generatorchamber, the inturned flange ais provided with a plurality of vent apertures (1?, arranged at intervals apart around the Cll'CllllF ference of the vase.

The generating-chamber B consists of a cupshaped receptacle made cylindric throughout e P ipal part of its length, but d ably made with converging sides from a point intermediate of its height downwardly to its lower end, the object of thus shaping the lower part of the receptacle being to prevent the carbid from caking tightly within the re ceptacle as it expands during reaction.

B designates a supporting-disk of suitable diameter to fit easily within the cylindric portion of the generator-body and provided at its periphery with a downturned cylindric flange or extension b which serves to sup port the disk accurately in a position perpendicular to the vertical axis of the chambenand to guide said disk in its movement up and down within the chamber. The lower edge of said flange b is turned inwardly, as indicated at b, to form a ledge for the support of an expansible spring-ring b Said sprin g-rin g is inserted within a hem 0, formed around the mouth of a flexible fabric bag 0, which is of suitable size to fit within the bottom of the carbid-receptacle and of sufficient length or height to permit its top edge to be carried upwardly with the supporting-disk as the latter rises to a point at or near the top of the chamber without lifting the bottom of the bag, the object of this construction being to permit the disk to rise as the carbid expands in slaking.

B designates a distributing duct or tube so connected with the under side of the supporting-disk centrally of the latter as to reg= ister with an opening 5 formed through said disk, the length of said duct-l pping such as to extend from the disk down wafdl to a point near the bottom of the carbida'eceptaclewhen the disk is in its lowermost position or that indicated in the drawings. The lower end of said distributing-duct is closed; but its sides are provided with a plurality of outlet-apertures I), through which the liquid may escape to the carbid within the chamber, and in order to prevent the carbid from lodging in or passing through said outlet-apertures into the distributing-duct the latter is provided with a covering of porous material-as, for example, fine-wire screening or a covering of thin cloth. ,The disk B is also provided with a plurality of small apertures b distributed at intervals over its surface to afiord ready escape of the gas from beneath the disk.

D designates a water-reservoir desirably and as herein shown having the form of a round bowl provided at its lower side with a contracted portion d and an outwardly-flaring flange or base portion D, the lower margin of which is of suitable shape to telescope over the upper end of the generator-body B and is internally threaded, as indicated at d to receive the correspondingly-threaded part of the latter. In order to insure a gas-tight joint at the union of the two parts, a packing (i is interposed between the end margin of the generator-body and the opposed part of the base D, as indicated clearly in the drawings.

E designates a drip-pipe connected with the bottom of the reservoir, so as to communicate with the interior of the latter at a point radially outside of the reduced portion thereof, said pipe being conveniently and as shown herein constructed to extend vertically downward through the outer wall of the chamber and then deflected horizontally across to a point in vertical alinement with the distributing-duct 13*, at which point it is again bent at right angles and extended downwardly, so as to project at its lower end some distance within the distributing-duct.

An important characteristic of my present inventionis that theliquid is introduced into the generating-chamber through an open or valveless aperture so arranged that the internal pressure of the gas acts most effectively to regulate the inflow of liquid.

At the point where the horizontal portion eof the drip-pipe unites with the vertical portion 6 thereof the interior of the pipe is divided by means of a vertically-disposed partition e conveniently and as shown herein formed by simply fitting the upper end of the upright portion e against the end of the horizontal portion, so as to close the latter, as indicated clearly in detail, Fig. 2. Through this partition portion e is formed a small drip-aperture e made sufliciently small so that the liquid will escape therethrough drop by drop in the usual operation of the lamp. In order to afiord convenient access both for drilling said drip-aperture when constructing the pipe and for cleaning it in case it should become obstructed, the upright tube 6 is provided with a larger aperture e in its side opposite the aperture (2 and said pipe is also left open at its upper end, as indicated clearly in said Fig. 2. Said openings adjacent to the drip-aperture 0 also afford a more free access of gas to the latter.

At the inlet end of the pipe E is formed a valve-seat 6 with which is arranged to cooperate a needle or plug valve E, which is conveniently and as shown herein arranged to extend vertically from said valve-seat upwardly through an internally-threaded fitting e", seated in the top wall of the reservoir, the valve-stem being provided with a slightlyenlarged threaded portion 6 which engages said fitting, and being also provided at its upper end with a thumb-nut 6 whereby it may be manipulated. In order to atford vent to the upper part of the reservoir to facilitate the flow of liquid therefrom, a vent-passage e is conveniently formed to extend inwardly through the upper end of the valve-stem, as indicated clearlyin Fig. 1. The reservoir is also provided with the usual filling-aperture d closed by means of a screw-plug (P.

F designates an annular partition arranged to extend from the bottom of the reservoir upwardly entirely through the latter and some distance above the same, so as to form an extension F, projecting centrally above the general upper surface of the reservoir, said partition serving to divide the interior of the reservoir into an outer annular chamber D, adapted to contain the slaking liquid, and a central gas-chamber D which is in open communication with the generatingchamber. The upper end of the chamber D is conveniently closed by means of a screw-cap (1 provided with a nipple d with which is connected the burner-nozzle D \Vithin the gas-chamber D is arranged a safety device for automatically relieving the pressure of gas within the generator when it exceeds a predetermined limit, said device consisting of two bulbs or chambers G G, arranged one above the other, the uppermost chamber being arranged to communicate with the interior of the lower chamber through the medium of a pipe g, which extends from the upper receptacle downwardly through an opening in the top of the lower receptacle and terminates at a point near the bottom of the latter. The lower chamber is arranged to communicate with the internal gas-space of the generator through an inlet-aperture 9, located near its top, while the upper receptacle is arranged to communicate with the outer atmosphere through a discharge-pipe g communicating with its upper end and extending thence upwardly through the cap d and desirably arranged to discharge in proximity to the jet-openings of the burnernozzle. The safety device is conveniently supported within the chamber D by means of the said pipe 9 forming a connection on one side, and a supporting-strap g connecting the opposite side of the upper end of the bulb G with the cap d. The two members of the safety device are conveniently united with each other by a screw-threaded connection, the tube'g being provided with a threaded portion adjacent to the bulb G, which is engaged by the correspondingly-threaded aperture in the upper end of the receptacle G, through which the tube enters. In the operation of this safety device the lower chamber is filled nearly full with water or other sealing liquid, and when the, pressure within the generator exceeds a predetermined limit this liquid is driven through the communicating tube and into the upper chamber until the gas finally escapes into the lower end of the tube and thence passes into the upper chamber and out through the vent-pipe 9 thus relieving the pressure, whereupon the liquid flows back into the lower chamber. In order to prevent the liquid from being blown by the escaping gas out through the vent-tube, the latter is deflected or provided with a horizontal inlet end g".

The operation of the device is as follows: The operator havinglifted the generator-body and connected parts out of the vase unscrews the generator from the reservoir and lifts out the supporting-disk and carbid-bag connected therewith. He next separates the bag from the disk by compressing the springring slightly, so as to disengage it from the supporting-ledge of the disk, and after emptying out the residue (if the generator has been previously used) proceeds to fill the bag with carbid, preferably in granular or pulverized form. The bag should not be filled completely full; but sufficient space should be left to provide for the expansion of the carbid in slaking, so that when the bag has been reengaged with the supportingdisk and placed in position within the generator and the disk pressed down into bearing contact with the body of carbid the distributing-duct will reach nearly to the bottom of the carbid and the sides of the bag will be creased or partly folded, substantially as shown in the drawings. The charge of carbid having been thus placed in the generator,thelatter is again connected with the reservoir, the reservoir filled with water through the filling-aperture in its top, the vase filled with water to such a height that when the generator is replaced therein the liquid will rise approximately to the top of the vase, and the generator then placed in position in the vase. Before starting the lamp the first time the top cap of the gas-chamber,with the safety device connected therewith, will be removed and the lowermost bulb filled nearly full of water or other suitable sealing liquid. The safety device having been thus filled and the cap returned to place, the lamp is ready'for operation and may be started by simply opening the needle-valve sufficiently to allow the water to escape from the reservoir into the drip-pipe. The water passing from the reservoir into the drip-pipe escapes through the capillary drip-aperture drop by drop and drops downto the bottom of the distributing-pipe, rising in the latter until it begins to escape through the lowerthrough the body of carbid and at the same time interrupting the discharge to that portion which has become slaked. Obviously during the latter part of the consumption of the charge when the disk has been lifted as far as permitted liquid will be supplied to slake the remaining part of the charge through the discharge-outlets distributing throughout the height of the distributing-duct.

The construction and arrangement-of the drip-pipe with the capillary drip -aperture therein is a feature of importance. I have found in practical operation that with this construction the internal pressure of the gas acts most eifective-ly to retard and regulate the escape of liquid from the horizontal portion of the drip-tube and in conjunction with the regulation afiorded by the needle-Valve or its equivalent elfects a most perfect regulation of the rate of generation. Should, however, the pressure at any time exceed a predetermined limit, the safety device will promptly relieve the pressure by, permitting the gas to escape therethrough, and the gas which thus escapes is discharged into the jet, so that no disagreeable odor is caused. The construction by which the carbid is retained within a flexible bag, but at the same time in such manner as to permit the disk to rise freely, is also a feature of considerable importance, inasmuch as it greatly facilitates the cleaning and charging of the lamp.

I claim as my invention- 1. In an acetylene-generator, the combination of a carbid-chamber, a yieldablc confining-plate, adapted to rest in contact with the carbid and means for holding said plate yieldably in bearing against the body of carbid and a flexible bag removably connected with the plate and forming in conjunction with the latter a substantially-complete inclosure for the carbid.

2. In an acetylene-generator, the combination with a generating-chamber having a por tion of uniform cross-sectional area, of a supporting-disk arranged to fit within said por tion and provided at its periphery with a flange having extended bearing with the side walls of the generator, an inturned ledge upon said flange, a flexible carbid-bag, and

at its extremity except for a lateral capillary drip-aperture through which the Water must be forced against the pressure of the gencn ated gas, substantially as described.

4. In an acetylene-generator, the combina-- tion with a generating-chamber and an elevated liquid-reservoir, of a drip-pipe as. E,

leading from the reservoir to, and communicating with, the generating-chamber, said drip-pipe comprising a horizontally-extended portion, a vertical tube portion 0' connected with and forming an extension of the horizontal portion 0, the vertical portion being fitted against the end of the horizontal portion so as to close the latter, an open capillary drip-aperture 6 formed through that portion of the vertical tube which closes the end of the horizontal tube, an opening 6 formed through the vertical tube portion at a pointopposite the drip-aperture and a Valve,

as E, arranged to control the flow of liquid from the reservoir into the drip-tube, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In an acetylene-generator, the combination with a generating-chamber and an elevated liquid-reservoir, of a drip-pipe leading from the reservoir into the generating-chamber and comprising a laterally-extending conducting portion 6 and a vertically-depending discharge portion e separated by an intervening partition 6 having a capillary drip-aperto re c therein, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature, in presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 13th day of October, A. D. 1809.

ALLEN WINCH. Witnesses:

ALBERT H. GRAVES, L. F. MCCREA. 

